posting by Caroline Seitz

The highest valley east of the Rocky Mountains is Canaan Valley, WV.  This fascinating area is comprised of flora and fauna normally found much farther north.  I had been here a few other times, but always in winter.  Now, the snow had finally melted, the valley was green instead of white, and I was ready for some snakes instead of skis.

A few of my friends and I stayed at a beautiful house in the ski resort area of Timberline, which has a ski run named “The Salamander” after the Cheat Mountain salamander which is found in the area.  (I didn’t find any while I was here.)  It was the second weekend in July 2010, and it had been super hot all week – but luckily for us, the weather cooled off while we were there.

Hiking, Not Skiing, Up the Salamander

We started out our first day by hiking part way up The Salamander to gain access into the Dolly Sods Wilderness.  Due to the high altitude and cooler weather, the Sods are home to plants not typically found this far south.

Aaah, the cool, cool Dolly Sods

The summers in the Sods are also filled with blueberries.  Yummy, delicious wild blueberries.  What a treat!

Mmmmmmm - wild blueberries!

We found plenty of cool plants, awesome views, delicious blueberries and beautiful bird songs – but we did not find any herps.  We did, however, find some amazing ants and some angry yellow jackets.

GIANT Ant Hill

The next day – we decided to explore a large wilderness area owned by the Canaan Valley Institute. It was apparent that this area was home to bears and possibly bobcats due to the tracks and scat we saw on the trails.

BEAR Print

Eastern red-spotted newts, green frogs, and tons of tadpoles were all found in the ponds and wetlands on the property. And we found 8 red-bellied snakes under various logs and rocks.

Red Bellied Snake

Red Bellied Snake

When we turned over another log, we discovered a snake I had a little trouble identifying. It took me a few seconds, but I realized it was an anerythristic garter snake! This garter snake lacked all of his yellow pigment, so it did not have the typical yellow stripe on his back. He was COOL!

Anerythristic Garter Snake

The Dolly Sods and the Canaan Valley of West Virginia are an amazing place to explore.  I plan on going back to uncover more secrets of Sods!

Posting by Caroline Seitz

There was a lot of snow this June.

NO – don’t worry, no more snowmageddon for us here in the DC area. I just returned from my June trip to Reno. There was plenty of snow in the Sierras and we even had a brief sleet/thunder storm down in the desert around my dad’s house. No shoveling, but we did enjoy some hot soup and a fire in the fireplace.

During my visit, I had the opportunity to hike at my favorite Washoe County park: Galena Creek. Galena Creek Park is located just southwest of Reno, NV and features miles of fantastic hiking trails, horse trails, camping, and picnicking. Galena is in the Sierra Nevadas, but it is low enough in elevation that most of the hiking trails are clear of snow by June.

The air was crisp and cool, the skies were bright and sunny and the relative humidity was around 6%. Really – 6%! Nothing like a typical June day here in Virginia!

Galena Creek itself is usually a small creek – sometimes it even dries up completely. But not the day we were there. The snow melt above caused the little creek to become a raging torrent! open source video, online video platform, video solution

The Sierras are home to some really beautiful wildflowers.  Snowplant, mule’s ears, spreading phlox, and more are all natives.

My favorite plant in the Sierra is the Jeffrey Pine.  It is a close relative of the Ponderosa Pine, but it’s bark is fragrant with the smell of butterscotch or vanilla and its needles are more fragrant as well.  Another way to differentiate the Jeffrey from the Ponderosa is with their pine cones.  The Ponderosa’s cone has a prickle on each scale that turns outward and the Jeffrey’s cone’s prickles point inward.  Remember the saying:  “Prickly Ponderosa, Gentle Jeffrey” to remember the difference.

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Due to the cool climate of the Sierra Nevadas, there are not as many reptile species as there are here in the DC area.   There are approximately 13 species of amphibians, including the introduced Bull frog.  About 19 species of reptiles are able to survive in the Sierras and only one is venomous:  the Western Rattlesnake.

While I was at Galena,  I spotted only one type of herp, the Western Fence lizard…

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After we finished our hike at Galena, we headed up the Mt. Rose Highway over the highest all-season pass in the Sierras.
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Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature’s peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves.
– John Muir

Galena Creek Regional Park
Galena Creek Regional Park
18350 Mt. Rose Highway
Mount Rose District Ranger: (775) 849-2511

Nestled in a forested area on the eastern slope of the Sierra Nevada, Galena Creek Park is seven miles up the Mt. Rose Highway from the intersection with U.S. 395. Galena Creek flows through the park creating separate north and south portions of the park. Campfire programs, ranger-led hikes, and exhibits in the old stone visitor’s center add to the diversity of the park. The park offers fishing at Marilyn’s Pond and an outdoor education camp called camp We Ch Me. Reservable building and picnic pavilions.

Call the ranger office at (775) 849-2511 for more park information.
Call the Parks Administration office at (775) 823-6501 for building and picnic pavilion reservations.

The official opening for the new Delmarva Discovery Center’s (DDC) aquarium is Saturday June 26, but today, I will take you on a virtual tour that includes some special peeks behind the scenes…

We will start our tour with the quarantine facilities that are not in the public areas of the DDC.  This area houses new animals before they go on exhibit; special animals that are used in shows and programs, and the tons of “stuff” that a zoo or aquarium requires to care for its animals.

Behind the Scene Starfish and Mussle

Hmm, I wonder what is for dinner? Fish anyone?

I learned just how territorial large mouth bass are when Jen introduced me to this guy:
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And check out these totally cool ancient creatures:
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Next, we went into the public areas of the DDC. This exhibit features Chesapeake bay creatures:

One of the DDC's Aquariums

Did you know Hermit Crabs live in the Chesapeake Bay?

The DDC also has some really cool touch tank exhibits featuring some awesome native creatures.
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Live reptiles and amphibians are also featured creatures. More live herp exhibits will be coming soon too.

Eastern Box Turtle

Gray Tree Frog Exhibit

There are also a few displays featuring taxidermy birds and mammals.

Hey - what is that funny looking bird in the exhibit above this majestic eagle?

Icterus galbula

Finally – we came to the big new aquarium with its new and exciting residents – the STURGEON!

STURGEON!

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Now that you have had a sneak peek at the new aquarium, start making plans to visit the Delmarva Discovery Center. The aquarium’s Grand Opening Celebration on June 26 will feature Jen scuba diving in the tank, animal feeding demonstrations, live animal programs and more! Located in historic Pocomoke City MD, about 45 minutes from Ocean City MD and Chincoteague VA – this is a totally fun destination for the whole family.

Last Saturday morning, March 20th, I packed up the Reptiles Alive van full of great animals including Sunshine the python, Logan the Nile monitor lizard, and B.A. the alligator.  We  drove across the Chesapeake Bay down to Pocomoke City, MD – home to the Delmarva Discovery Center.

Pocomoke is a historic Eastern Shore town located right on the Pocomoke River. Last year, the awesome new Delmarva Discovery Center (DDC) opened to the public. The DDC features exhibits that tell the story of the Delmarva’s natural and cultural history.

As we set up and got ready, we had a huge crowd excitedly waiting to see the first show.

We started each of the three shows that day with a couple of animals native to the Eastern Shore: Lucky our black rat snake and T Rex the snapping turtle.

Then we featured an animal from the other side of our planet: the Australian blue tongue skink, Mystique. Next, we learned why we should all be really grateful there are no mommy pizzas when we met Logan the Nile monitor lizard.

The alligator B.A. (which stands for “Bad Attitude” helped us learn alligator love songs. Last but definitely not least, we met Sunshine, our albino Burmese python. The audience, as usual, went wild for Sunshine.

Big thanks go to the Delmarva Discovery Center for hosting this fun reptile festival. We are hoping to make this an annual event, so start planning your trip to Pocomoke City for next year.

Posting by Caroline Seitz

Jennifer and I had a great time visiting with some old friends and colleagues at the National Zoological Park (NZP) in Washington DC.

First, we went to see the legendary Janis Gerrits, Senior Keeper at the Reptile Discovery Center (RDC).  Janis is a former Reptiles Alive keeper who left us in 2003 to join the NZP team.   The Zoo is very lucky to have Janis – she is a top notch reptile keeper.  She has an amazing ability to know an animal’s needs.

Here she is demonstrating target training with a monitor lizard.

Why bother training a monitor lizard at a zoo?

Monitors are very intelligent animals that need something to do.  By training an animal at the zoo, it makes their life more comfortable and interesting.  The monitor in this video has become at pro at target training thanks to Janis’s expertise in training reptiles.

Speaking of monitor lizards, we couldn’t visit the zoo without saying hello to Murphy the Komodo Dragon!

What a handsome lizard he is, and big!  I was amazed as how calm he was around Janis.  (You can see Murphy’s head behind the glass of this picture of  Janis.)

Komodo dragon

We were very impressed with what Janis has accomplished at the National Zoo.  The animals were all healthy and their enclosures were super clean and well designed.  The enclosures had real live plants in them and very cool rock work.  The animals all had nice comfy places to hide while allowing the public to still see them.

Iguana eats a yummie lunch

After spending the morning hanging out with Janis and all the awesome animals at the RDC, we headed down to the Bird House to meet up with the renowned former Reptiles Alive Wildlife Educator and Keeper – Reade Harbitter.

Reade at the NZP Bird House

Reade left Reptiles Alive to become a full time Bird Keeper at NZP about 2 years ago.  Although we specialize in reptiles, both me and Jen love birds too.  She introduced us to some of her favorite feathered friends, including a toucan, some rheas, and lots of other exotic and strange birds.

As we were leaving the zoo, a car pulling out of the parking lot started honking.  I looked over and saw my friend and colleague Debbie Grupenhoff!  Debbie and I used to work together at the Reston Animal Park way, way back.  I had not seen her in years and I was so surprised!  Debbie said she is now working at the zoo’s commissary.  That is so cool – a professional chef for the animals!

What a fantastic day we had.  Thank you Janis and Reade for the tours.

The zoo is a great way to get close to nature in the big city.  Tell us about your trip to the zoo!

Truckee Meadows/Reno Area - Nevada

Posting by Caroline Seitz

Even though I live and work in the Washington DC area, I consider my other home to be in Reno NV.  I love the desert, the Sierra Nevadas, the Jeffery pine trees, the open views, the awesome weather, and my Dad – who happens to live there too.  I am so lucky because I get to go out to Reno a couple of times a year to visit Dad and have tons of fun.

This visit was, as usual, a total blast!  We visited the old cemetery in Virginia City.  I took a ton of pictures, and I did not find any ghosts, but I did find a couple of nice Western Fence Lizards hanging around the old graves.

Western Fence Lizard on an old grave marker

In the Nevada desert, the air is so dry that lumber does not rot for a very long time.  So, even after 100 years, the old wooden bed frames that people used to mark graves in the past were still there.  Nevada is the driest state in the country – the humidity level can be around 5%. Here in Virginia, we can have humidity levels of 70% or more – the difference is remarkable when you are in the desert.

But Nevada is not all about the desert.  In addition to being the driest state, Nevada is also the most mountainous state.  The highest mountains in the lower 48 states are the Sierra Nevadas, which lie on the California/Nevada border.  The Sierras are home to many rivers that on the east coast we might call creeks because they seem so small.  Most of the rivers on the eastern side of the Sierras never make it to the ocean – they simply “die” out in the Great Basin.  The Truckee River runs from Lake Tahoe east to Pyramid Lake, where the water simply evaporates into the dry desert air.

Different fish species live in the rivers and lakes.  Our luck trying to catch them, however, was not the greatest.  No grilled trout for breakfast on this trip!

Dad catches a big one!

Since we were unsuccessful in our efforts to catch fish, we decided to go out for some  sushi that night.  We went to Oceania at the Peppermill – WOW – what a place!  Sharks, leatherback sea turtles – they had it all.

Lookout!

Leatherback Sea Turtle in Nevada?

It was a great trip – thanks Dad!

Posting by Caroline Seitz

Elk on the golf course, snow in July, and trees that never grow more than a few inches high are all a normal part of life in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado.

Elk near a golf course in Estes Park, CO

I flew to Denver to meet up with my longtime friend Lena.  We headed west up into the Rockies.  It is amazing to go from the flat open great plains of eastern Colorado to the high mountains of western Colorado.

We stayed in a beautiful cabin on a creek in Estes Park and spent our first day exploring the town and taking a ghost tour of the famous Stanley Hotel.  I highly recommend the ghost tour to anyone – it was fascinating learning the history of the hotel and some of its haunted secrets.

The next day, after coffee and donuts we enjoyed next to the creek full of trout and fly fisherman, we headed up, and up, and yes, up some more!  We drove all the way to the Continental Divide – over 12,000 feet high!  It was cold, windy, and surprisingly very crowded with other tourists at the Alpine Visitor Center.  I decided between the altitude and the crowds of people – I had to get on the trail soon.

We chose the Alpine Tundra Trail.  At only 2 miles, you would think it would be easy.  But for this girl who had just flown in from sea level, 12,000 feet really made a difference in my physical abilities.

Tundra Trail at Colorado National Park, CO

It can snow at any time of the year way up here – even in July.  The growing season is only about 6 weeks long and the average  temperature is so low that trees cannot grow here.  There are wildflowers and lichens, and a few insects, mammals and birds.  After our hike to the top of the world, I decided it was time to head down.

Hidden Valley in Rocky Mountain National Park, CO

We had a great lunch and did some more hiking – it was a fantastic experience!  I am so lucky to have a great friend in Colorado.

Next… – Reno!

Posting by Caroline Seitz

Jennifer Rafter was one of the first staff members of Reptiles Alive.  She started in 1999 and has been an important part of our team ever since.  Caring for our animals, rehabilitating injured wildlife, and presenting awesome live animal shows were all part of her contribution here.

Jennifer has moved on from Reptiles Alive to become the Aquarium Curator at the Delmarva Discovery Center. It is a brand new museum in Pocomoke MD that showcases the culture and natural history of the Delmarva Peninsula with a focus on the Pocomoke River.

I had the chance to visit Jen at her new job last week – and I am SO EXCITED for her.  The Discovery Center is fabulous.  The cultural exhibits are up and they are very good.  Children and adults will enjoy the various interactive displays and hands-on activities the center offers.  But the best is soon to come…

A 7,000 gallon aquarium was just installed and Jen is spending all her time getting it sealed, plumbed, and working.  It takes A LOT of work to get an aquarium of that size up and running.  It took almost 12 hours just to the aquarium through the Center’s doors and installed in the display area!

The Pocomoke City Fire Department was called to fill the aquarium for its first water test.  After the test, the tank was drained so that concrete features such as fallen trees and branches can be added.  After the plumbing and concrete work is done, the fire department will re-fill the aquarium.

Jen will then spend time cycling the water to prepare it for the fish.  Live bass, catfish and other fish found in the Pocomoke River will be featured in the aquarium, but the star attraction will be the sturgeon.

In addition to the large aquarium, the Discovery Center also has touch tanks that allow visitors to touch animals such as snails, horseshoe crabs and more.  Jen will also be adding live reptile and amphibian displays.

Special events such as a Haunted Halloween tour, lectures, art classes and other fun activities are offered at the Center.  Activities adjacent to the Center include a special Pocomoke River boat cruise tour, a boardwalk trail through a naturally occurring cypress swamp, and shopping at art galleries and boutiques in the beautiful town of Pocomoke.  Of course you can also visit Chincoteague, VA, Ocean City, MD and Assateague National Seashore which are all about 30 minutes away.

I am sad to see her go – but I am so excited for her too!  Jen’s new home and new job are really awesome and I know she is going to have a great time.  I urge anyone who visits the Eastern Shore to visit the Delmarva Discovery Center and say hello to Jen.

Posting by Caroline Seitz

I had heard stories of the black flies that live in the north, but I never believed that they could be that bad.  I was wrong.  I am trying unsuccessfully not to scratch as I write this.

Last week I went with my Dad and Kay to Mont Tremblant, a mountain resort area in Quebec, Canada.  It was a fantastic place, full of gorgeous rivers, lakes, and mountains.  We went fishing for trout, hiked on great trails, and ate LOTS of fantastic French food.

The area is full of lakes carved by glaciers that retreated long ago.  The lakes are full of frogs and fish.  I saw green frogs and heard their calls, along with the calls of gray tree frogs, bull frogs, and spring peepers.  I did not see any reptiles, but I was lucky to catch a speckled trout on our fishing expedition.  During our time on the boat, there were no insects to be seen (or felt).

Green Frog in Quebec, Canada

Speckled trout - Quebec

I was on the dock of a very nice restaraunt, petting a cat, when I had my first real taste of what black flies are capable of.  They were swarming all around my face and head.  I brushed them away and figured they were kind of like gnats – annoying, but basically harmless.

I went back inside the restaraunt to place my order for dinner (grilled venison, yum!), and noticed I was bleeding around my chest and neck.  The waitress who spoke mostly French, noticed, and began to explain what black flies can do to a person.  She said they liked to crawl under your clothes and hair where they bite throught your skin ans suck blood.  Their bites will cause bleeding, then later, the bites swell and become very itchy and in some people, very painful.

I excused myself from the dinner table, went to the restroom and shook all my clothes out.  I then noticed that I was bleeding from many, many bites on my face, neck, and back.  It was a bit gross.  After the bleeding stopped, I went back to the table and enjoyed a dinner that was magnifique.

A day later, all of the bites had turned into large red welts that itched like mad! I knew I had to avoid getting any more black fly bites.  I now had respect for them.  These were no gnats!

It turns out, black flies breed in clean, fast running creeks and rivers.  The larvae cannot tolerate pollution or still water.  The larvae and adult flies are a major source of food for trouts, birds, and many other insects and animals.  The adults typically come out around mid-May and stick around until the end of July, but the actual “black fly season” depends on location and weather conditions.

Black flies are a major problem for livestock.  Because black flies like to crawl inside nasal passages, cattle an other livestock are sometimes smothered by the swarming flies.  The flies can also spread disease and cause such stress to animals, that they die.

I had a great time in Canada – and I would love to go back.  But this time, I’ll remember to bring the bug spray!

I was very lucky…

In February 2008, I went with a group of my friends to the QE II Botanic Park on Grand Cayman Island.  Since I love gardening, I always get excited about touring botanical parks, and this was a GREAT one.  But it was about to get even better!

Caroline and friend

The QE II Botanic Park is also the home of the Blue Iguana Recovery Program. I knew about the program from my friend Janis (a former Reptiles Alive animal keeper) who now works as a Keeper at the National Zoo Reptile Discovery Center.  The National Zoo is a partner with the Blue Iguana Recovery Project, and maintains a breeding colony of them right here in Washington DC.   A few years ago,  the Zoo sent Janis to Grand Cayman to help out with the iguana program and learn more about Blue Iguana natural history and husbandry.

Blue Iguana

While touring the Botanic Garden, we came upon the public area of the Blue Iguana enclosures. They were fantastic – the iguanas had tons of room to roam, bask in the sun, dig in the ground and just act naturally. I was thinking things couldn’t get any better when John the Iguana Warden noticed my Reptiles Alive shirt and started chatting. He invited my group into the “behind the scenes” area and we got a great tour of the facility!

Inside the dragon's lair

The staff and volunteers are totally dedicated to the care and comfort of these endangered reptiles. From the newly hatched iguanas to the old adults, all the animal receive top-notch care – the Botanic Garden even grows the native plants that the iguanas eat.

Beautiful Blue Iguana

After the tour, John invited me to come back the next day and spend more time learning about the iguanas. That day, I met the director of the project, Fred Burton. Fred was a total expert on both the iguanas, the plants, and the ecology of Grand Cayman Island. He graciously took time out of his super busy schedule to spend time showing me more of the park and teaching me about the iguanas.
To learn more about the Blue Iguana Recovery Project, visit http://blueiguana.ky

Fred and the iguana

So, the moral of the story is: Wear your Reptiles Alive shirt when traveling! You never know where it might take you…